PROFESSOR PAINE'S "AZARA"

The performance of Professor Paine's grand opera, "Azara," which was sung in Symphony Hall last night by the Cecilia Society, was an unqualified success. Great credit is due to Mr. B. J. Lang for his energy in conducting the entire work of presenting the opera.

The work itself is that form of opera which has adopted the continuous action first used by Wagner; but the opera does not carry out the more radical Wagnerian reforms. The melody often reminds one of the more recent Italian school; but the treatment shows all the advantages of the German vigor coupled with great originality. The duct sung by Gontran and Azara in the second act, and the definance-song of Malek, are two of the most conspicuous portions of the masterly work.

The music of the opera showed a tendency to repetition, which sometimes became monotonous, but on the whole the airs were well constructed and original. The orchestration was excellent, the music being extremely difficult. The most agreeable feature of the performance was the grand chorus of 180 well-trained voices, which brought out strongly some of the most excellent parts of the music.